Kaval's Kickoff: What a weekend for soccer

What an exciting weekend for soccer here in the Bay Area. The Quakes picked up their first win against a very good FC Dallas squad that played in the MLS Cup last season. Wondo got into the action early with an amazing chest trap and half-volley into the back of the net from great service by Chris Leitch. The goal is nominated for the ATT Goal of the week. Please text G5 to 22442 to vote for Wondo's strike. Getting the three points on the road continues the Quakes reputation of being road warriors. Dallas has been nearly unbeatable at home and our win is a great early-season indication of what we can accomplish as a team.

Here in the Bay Area, the Mexican National team defeated Paraguary 3-1 in front of a sellout crowd at the Oakland Coliseum. It was a fun match with a lively carnival atmosphere. The Quakes produced the event in conjunction with Soccer United Marketing (SUM). We want to continue to bring top tier international matches to Bay Area soccer fans so please let me know what teams folks would like to see. I was hoping to get some feedback on "dream match-ups" or maybe even rematches of some great historic friendlies that have been hosted here in the Bay Area. What do folks think about doubleheaders with an MLS game in front of an international? What are folks’ favorite locations to see an international game in the Bay Area?

It appears that spring may actually arrive this week and we are looking forward to a warm evening on Saturday when the Quakes take on Seattle Sounders FC at Buck Shaw at 7:30 p.m. The Epicenter will be in full swing with the pre-game show, gourmet food trucks, the Bon Appétit carvery food station, the adidas tent store, new inflatables, foosball tables, sign making stations, and even a giant balloon marking the Epicenter's location. Please get there early to take in all the excitement and gear up for the match. Gates open at 5:30 p.m.

The Heritage Cup – currently in the hands of Sounders FC – will be up for grabs and we need to bring that trophy home. Speaking of trophies, folks should stop by the office and check out the 2001 and 2003 MLS Cups that are now on display in some fancy trophy cases. They look pretty cool and we are proud to celebrate our history of championships. I always thought that MLS has done a great job designing its trophy. While not as cool as the Stanley Cup and its penchant for turning up in the strangest places (check out this story: http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/WolfFiles/story?id=90991&page=1), the MLS Cup has a very modern and classy look, even the latest design. I guess the only odd thing about the MLS Cup when we won is that it was not a Cup.

As always, feel free to email me with any feedback on the team. The season is underway and we are all getting in the groove of things. It would be great to see everyone out there this weekend to cheer on the Quakes as we go for two wins in-a-row against Western Conference opponents.